FTSE 100 gains as weaker pound offsets AstraZeneca drag

London's FTSE 100 edged higher on Wednesday as Brexit fears led the pound to a six-week low, while AstraZeneca tumbled after suspending trials for its leading COVID-19 vaccine. The mid-cap FTSE 250 lost 0.1%.

London's FTSE 100 edged higher on Wednesday as Brexit fears led the pound to a six-week low, while AstraZeneca tumbled after suspending trials for its leading COVID-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca Plc fell 0.7% after saying an unexplained illness in a study participant had led it to pause global trials, including large late-stage trials, of its experimental coronavirus vaccine.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 was up 0.6% with GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever among the biggest boosts. The mid-cap FTSE 250 lost 0.1%. In Brexit news, the government will to set out new details of its divorce with the European Union on Wednesday, which a government minister acknowledged would break international law in a "limited way" and which could sour trade talks.